Stone’s sister Barbara said yesterday: ‘‘This is the biggest hope of clearing Mick’s name. He’s been in prison for 20 years and those 20 years have to be wrong for someone who hasn’t committed a crime.

“He is very hopeful and fully ­­be­lieves Bellfield has committed these crimes, although he had doubts in the past that he has done it.

“He’s hopeful that the justice system will be kind to him this time.’’

Stone’s barrister Mark McDonald said: “This evidence needs to tested by the Court of Appeal and — if believed — will lead to the largest miscarriage of justice since the ­Birmingham Six.”

An application with the evidence had already been served with the Criminal Cases Review Commission in a bid to have the case referred to the Court of Appeal, he added.

Stone’s solicitor Paul Bacon said: “We have received evidence of a full confession by Levi Bellfield to the Russell murders. He describes how he came across Lin Russell and her two children, attacked them with a hammer, and his motivation for the killing.

“The confession is detailed and has a number of facts not in the public domain.’’ The solicitor added that a witness had been traced who said they saw Bellfield near the Chillenden scene and that forensic material had been identified ­backing his confession.

Megan and her mum Lin were both killed in the Kent village of Chillenden

However, Bellfield now disputes the alleged confession to Baker, telling his own lawyers he did not admit to anything.

And police remain “highly sceptical” over his reported new admissions after a ­fruitless ten-force inquiry last year into bogus claims by the ex-wheel clamper which related to more than 80 serious offences.

Bellfield, who calls himself Yusuf Rahim af­ter converting to Islam, also went back on his confession to Milly’s murder on that occasion in an apparent bid to embarrass cops.

Retired DCI Colin Sutton, who led the probe into Bellfield’s 2004 hammer murder of 22-year-old French student Amelie Delagrange, said yesterday: “This is another example of him seeking attention.

“He is being as wicked as he can to the families of those he murdered. He is tormenting them and enjoying it. I don’t believe his confession will be credible at all.” Bellfield is said to have begun confessing to Baker in June, while discussing a forthcoming BBC doc­u­mentary on the Chillenden murders.

Cornishman Baker, a 52-year-old former DJ, is serving four life sentences for a series of rapes in the South East — committed after he returned from working in Spain.

Levi Bellfield's chilling audio tape from behind bars in full

Firstly let me apologise to Mr Sean and Josie Russell, for publicly raising these horrendous events of the loss of their loved ones.

On Monday 27 November 2017, I was made aware by other inmates that inmate Richard Baker, a convicted [bleeped] who is serving a life sentence for his crimes, made allegations to Mr. Stone’s legal team about myself.

Mr Baker is on record as a fantasist, manipulator and compulsive liar. To hear such rumours about him was to be expected given his character.

He is known…he is a known fantasist, and his latest endeavours to pervert the course of justice are an example of his character which seeks attention and publicity.

It appears Mr Baker has made an allegation of a so-called cell confession.

In my view such vile untrue allegations do not warrant a response. They are what they are. The words of a lonely [bleeped] who craves the spotlight. I hold no hard feelings towards him and can only pity.

However, given the circumstances I will respond later in this statement. Reference Mr Stone and his position - from day one I have endeavoured to help his legal team, if not only to clear myself from crimes he is convicted of.

I offered him a polygraph test which I also would take but he refused. Yes they hold no weight in law but nevertheless a public platform to build on.

I have signed authorities to release my DNA sample from the police. I have written many letters of invitations to Stone’s legal team inviting them to come and take my samples – DNA, hair, blood and fingerprints. All declined.

This being factual evidence, copies of my letters to and from them have been released publicly as in September to the editor of Converse prison paper Mark Leech, who ran my story on the front page.

What was most alarming and in my view very misleading was the BBC programme the Chillenden murders, screened on the 6th of June, where it stated I refused to give my DNA samples. This could not be further from the truth. I’ve been offering my samples since 2015. I’ve done all I can as previously said.

I again invite any media agency to take my samples or even attend HMP Franklin and witness me person taking a polygraph test. In the circumstances it’s all I can do.

On Wednesday 28 November 2017, my solicitor Julie Cooper informed me an email to the BBC had been sent to her asking for a response to a so-called cell confession. The contents of the email relate to various allegations within the alleged cell confession, they were red Ford was burnt out 1996, wore gloves, holiday to Turkey, a methodology of the crime and a list of 91 alleged offences.

One - the Ford Sierra GLS 5 hatchback of 1996, registration number E959 ARH was the only red Sierra I owned in 1996. This was Turkish from my stepfather. I used the vehicle and sold it on. It was never reported stolen or burnt out. This is a fact.

DVLA’s historical records can confirm this and also a check of the police, er national computer confirm it’s never been reported or burnt out or reported stolen.

Two - wore gloves. A weak conspiracy, most criminals wear gloves. Furthermore, this flies in the face of Stone’s defence team who claimed on their BBC programme the Chillenden murders of 6 June 2017 that they had a partial print of who they said came from the culprit of the crime.

Three - the methodology of the crime. This was publicly aired on TV on the 6 June 2017. Mr Baker took notes about this programme and was witnessed, there are witnesses that can confirm this. He was obsessed with the crime.

Four - a list of 91 crimes, from sexual assault to serious offending. No list exists. I am not convicted of any sexual offences. This is fact.

Five - holiday to Turkey. I cannot see how this has any significance to the Chillenden murder case. In any event, I flew out in the summer of 1996 and found it was too hot and returned the following day.

And finally, Mr Baker [bleeped] God help Mr Stone and our justice system if Mr Baker’s manipulation and lies are relied upon.

Thank you.

He is suspected of raping hundreds of girls in Spain after giving them date rape drug Rohypnol.

A source close to Baker said: ‘‘Richard is adamant that what Bellfield told him was true. It is entirely credible.’’

But Bellfield — also convicted of murdering student Marsha McDonnell, 19, and attem­pting to murder schoolgirl Kate Sheedy, 18 — last night called the accusations the work of a fantasist.

Branding Baker a “compulsive liar”, he said in an audio tape: “They are the words of a lonely rapist who craves the spotlight.”